


You have been visited by the Absolute Madman

by princessofthieves



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Hylian Prince Sidon, Link hates politics, M/M, Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), No Beta, No one climbs every surface like Link, Slow Burn, but not relevant to the story itself, but somehow finds himself involved, looooots of politics in hyrule's setting, nods to assassin's creed, vocal synthesizer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-09-23 08:10:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20336902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessofthieves/pseuds/princessofthieves
Summary: Sidon, prince of Zoronia, almost ruins his first diplomatic visit in Hyrule when he finds himself in the wrong part of the capital. After trying to escape some journalists Sidon finds himself in the hands of a strange young man...





	1. How did I end up here?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! It's the first fanfiction I ever try to write in english and with it not being my main language there coul be a couple of slips here and there. I am more than open to criticisms and corrections so if you feel like it feel free to drop a comment pointing eventual mistakes out. This fanfiction is part of a long project and the first ten chapters are more or less already planned, I just hope I will be able to entertain you all.

'Could you show me where to have fun in this city?'

That simple question has been the source of all the problems Sidon had in the past four hours since apparently the idea of ‘fun’ he had didn’t quite match the one certain diplomats had and instead of finding himself in a fancy area of the city enjoying a party or great food- his driver left him in the red quarters of the city. Worse than that? He didn't even realize where he was until he walked in a brothel taking it for an extravagant bar. Even worse? Sidon was sure he saw some of the journalists he spoke with earlier in the crowd. Looking around. Probably searching for him.

He could already see the headlines on all gossip newspapers talking about how the crown prince of Zoronia totally embarrassed himself during his very first diplomatic mission. 

What to do? Approach the journalists himself, be honest about the massive misunderstanding and hope not to be thrown to the lions? Nah, it wasn't going to happen, they were going to take pictures anyway and proceed to humiliate him for days. Fleeing and praying not to be spotted was his best bet.

The man pushed his long, wavy red hair inside the collar of his shirt and beelined toward the first emergency exit he could find- just to stop like a deer in front of car lights when opening the door he found himself in front of another journalist armed with a camera. Sidon bit his lips and as soon as he registered the other was about to take a picture he simply shoved himself against the smaller man, covering his face with his hands and rushing toward the stairs heading up. 

A terrible decision, really.

As soon as he reached the top of the stairs the prince immediately realized he screwed up: there were no other ladders or ways to climb down to the street, only some planks and metallic pipes that offered access to a nearby roof. Not even stopping to think about possible consequences Sidon proceeded toward the other building, desperately trying not to fall and cursing his slippery leather shoes for making things even harder for him. 

The man kept pressing forward, now reaching for another building and ignoring the voices behind him calling his name and telling him to stop. Oh, no, they weren't going to make him turn around, nor now or ever. He knew anything they could record of him right now was of no value, not as long as he was hiding his hair and giving them his back, how was that going to be evidence of any sort? He just had to keep running.

Even if his lungs were already protesting.

Even if every time his eyes dared to look down he felt a wave of nausea and fear hit him.

Why did he even order Rivan to wait for him at the embassy? His bodyguard would have known what to do and if he knew the man he probably already memorized the whole city's layout as well, meanwhile the prince was basically lost as he stumbled from place to place, still hearing people run after him, and climbed all ladders and stairs he could find in the hope to tire his pursuers before his legs gave up.

It was only when he found himself on the top of a skeletal building with exposed metallic beams and a broken glass ceiling he finally recognized his surroundings: he was on the top of the old city market, a place once considered the heart of the city then abandoned because it was too old, unsafe and it costed the administration less to build a new infrastructure than fixing all the problems the structure had. Then criminals moved in the area or something like that and there was even less interest in restoring the market to its full glory, that was all he could remember. 

Not that he cared so much, his main worry was how dangerous the whole ceiling appeared: the steel skeleton was covered in rust and the large windows on the top were either cracked or broken, how was he supposed to get across? Still... voices were behind him and he couldn't see any other way to go beside some tactically placed planks that could easily take him there. Thinking about it, he crossed many of those, as if someone tried to create a path or something... 

Wait, now that he stopped thinking about it... with no other connessions of any sort this was exactly what he needed! Dangerous dome to cross aside with no other pipes and no external stairs he could see...

"Ah! I win!"

The prince's voice was low, muffled with his heavy breathing, but he still sounded triumphant as he crossed the small wooden bridge, kicked it down in the streets below and proceeded to walk away. That was it, they had no chance of finding him, right? AH! He just had to be careful, get across the roof and- crap. The flat soles finally managed to betray him, Sidon only managed to let out a short scream before plummeting toward the darkness below. Was that how he was going to die? Chased by reporters in one of the dirtiest places of Hyrule's capital?

No. Something got in the way, slowing his descent, and even if every small impact felt like hitting a wall it was enough to save his life. For a long moment the prince only stood on the ground with his eyes closed, biting down sobs of pain and slowly moving his limbs to see if everything was still working. Despite everything... his body was still working. Golden eyes filled with tears finally opened to look up at the ceiling where faint rays of lights were coming from, how did he even survive the fall?

Sidon let out a loud hiss as he attempted to get up, apparently the old tarps still present in the abandoned marketplace managed to break his fall. Sweet Hylia, he made it.

'Aaaand this is why I say people should slowly and gradually increase the difficulty of their jumps instead of attempting stuff they might regret. You okay, buddy?'

If the flat electronic voice wasn't enough to make him jump on his feet ignoring the pain he could feel in his ribs the flash of a camera did. Oh, the last thing he needed was an article on a newspaper talking about how the visiting prince almost killed himself not to be seen in a brothel.

"For the sake of-"

Wait. Not only that person wasn't pointing the camera in his direction, opting instead to take shots at the now ruined tarps, the stranger was honest to the goddess sitting on a ridiculously high ledge while cosplaying as one of those white dressed assassins from a game that was popular... what, a decade ago? He had so many questions, and in that barely lit building with only the padded sounds of the city to keep them company Sidon almost felt like he stepped in a different dimension for a moment. Then the stranger's head whipped in the direction of the entrance, seemed pensive for a couple of seconds then raised his hands to type on something small and black Sidon couldn't quite see in the dark.

‘There are other people coming in.’

The electronic voice once again, was that person-

‘Friends or pursuers?’

The look on the prince's face was probably enough, the stranger leapt from their position and rolled on the floor to soften their landing before finally taking his hood down in what was probably an attempt to reassure him. Sidon was greeted with long blonde hair casually pushed together in a messy ponytail, intense blue eyes and a face that... didn't really help him figure out if he was in front of a young man or a young woman.

'Come' they simply said with the movements of their lips, not a sound escaping their mouth, they seemed to know what to do. Great, not only he could feel his ribs sting at every breath he tried to take, he was about to be kidnapped by a wild cosplayer... perhaps, just perhaps, it was better to let the paparazzi catch up and take all the embarrassing pictures they wanted, ruin his family's reputation, disappoint both his father and his sister...

"Okay-" he finally commented after taking a sharp, painful breath. This was a terrible idea "- I'm trusting you."

\----

Okay, Sidon had to take it back, following the stranger had been a wonderful idea. 

Not only they seemed to perfectly know the layout of the market but they also managed to pick a path even the pained prince could follow taking advantage of broken doors, fallen supports and old furniture to find their way up. He only dared to ask once what was the plan and the other pointed at a fallen piece of a wall above their heads, red lights weakly coming from outside, and Sidon knew that was their way out.

As much as he didn’t want to trust a weird stranger the other seemed genuinely concerned now that they were close enough to read his expressions even in the dark. They kept trying to make Sidon’s climb as simple as possible despite the dangers of the location, they never moved away whenever the prince had to lean on them for support and they stopped at every moan of pain that managed to escape Sidon’s lips.

Seriously, the only time they almost let Sidon fall it was when mounting on an old shelf he accidentally wrapped his fingers around the text to speech device the other carried tied to their belt- but even then, after slapping the prince’s fingers away, they kept helping out.

He knew the other probably recognized him and mostly worried about his safety due to his royal status but- he was glad it was this person that found him.

A pat on his shoulder grabbed his attention once more and the ‘assassin’ kneeled to touch the ground, silently letting him know he was supposed to wait there. One glance forward and the prince knew why: lights coming from the ground were now almost pointing in their direction, searching around to find the prince.

Why weren’t they simply giving up? He was clearly nowhere to be seen and as far as they knew he already called someone to pick him up and- oh.

Oh.

As soon as his hand tried to reach for his phone the prince realized it wasn’t there, he probably lost it during the fall. And they probably found it. Shit.

Okay, he could fix this, he only had to tell his bodyguard to report a stolen phone as soon as he could and Sidon could still pretend it was all a farce to ruin his face, right? If he only knew how to contact him things would be perfect.

With his lips painting a thin line on his face the prince slowly turned to look at his unexpected companion, almost afraid to see them jump away and leave him there. After all from what the other knew the group below them could be a dangerous one and they had no reason to stick around and it was clear the only reason they were still in the marketplace was… Sidon. He was slowing them down and-

“Listen, Ezio, I-”

The blonde let out an incredibly short hush pushing the air already in their mouth through their teeth, their blue eyes never leaving the people below and one of their calloused hands against the prince’s mouth. 

They waited in silence in their dark corner for what felt like an eternity, sitting side by side out of sight, and Sidon found himself sighing with relief when the lights disappeared and his pursuers disappeared in the various old shops of the ground floor, probably still searching for him.

The ‘assassin’ turned to look at him with a wide grin painted on their face and offered him a hand. They crossed an unsteady platform, climbed a squeaky ladder and before Sidon realized it they were both at the exit, free to walk outside and wander once more under the night sky.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes Zelda!
> 
> Self indulgent political fanfiction proceeds, horray. This is somehow more difficult to write than my Zora one? Still really fun <3 Please let me know if you see any blatant error or if you think I should change anything, I am always open to criticisms.

So… his saviour’s name was Link, that was one of the few things Sidon managed to gather about them when he asked to stop for a moment so he could catch his breath. He also had the confirmation that the other was a mute when in a moment of distraction he started to wave his hands midair trying to talk before noticing Sidon’s confused expression, letting out a choked huff and reaching for his vocal synthesizer. That robotic mess was his voice, uh?

Even with that device, thought, he still seemed quite the silent person barely bothering to ask the prince if he wanted to go to the police or if he wanted to be taken somewhere else and after Sidon let him know he just wanted out the red light district of the city there were no more words as Link lead the way.

He had to admit it, thought, despite this not being the night of his dreams he was still managing to enjoy himself: the capital by night was a marvel from above. Sidon stopped more than once just to admire how the lights from below slowly faded against the stone walls of the old buildings, how the giant statue in the plaza almost seemed engulfed in flames while being caressed by dim orange lights, how the sounds being so distant and weak somehow managed to make him feel above everyone else…

Sidon stopped leaning against a wall, daring to look down and letting out a nervous yet amused laugh, he had been in high places before but it never felt as dangerous. Or wild. 

Sweet Hylia, his family better never find out about anything that happened or he’d never hear the end of it. The prince shook his head, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as he scratched the back of his head.

“You know… it’s lovely up here.”

He finally dared to say while waiting for his companion to be done moving some wooden planks, Link had been diligent in building simple bridges for him the whole time and after a while Sidon realized it wasn’t probably something… new for the other. The blonde man tilted his head looking up in his direction for a moment before letting out a small, amused huff and sitting down on the edge of the building, writing on his device.

‘ _ You sound incredibly nonchalant for someone who just risked his life _ ’ Right, he almost broke his neck while falling down, his body still protested as he moved around after the hit ‘ _ So _ …’ Link touched the floor at his side, inviting him to sit down as well. Slowly, carefully, Sidon joined him trying not to fall once more, the hesitation in his movements apparently bringing further amusement to his companion. The smile was short lived, thought, as his expression changed in a worried one. ‘ _ What did I get myself into? Why were they trying to kill you _ ?’

Sidon blinked, surprised, and shook his head. Sweet Hylia, he saved him because he thought he was seriously in danger. The prince wasn’t completely surprised, mind you, in the dark and in that situation he would have assumed the worst as well but… no.

“My deepest apologies, Link, I am afraid there was a misunderstanding and I am truly sorry I caused you such distress but the truth is I was merely running from paparazzi.”

The other offered him an annoyed glare, almost saying ‘don’t lie to me after I saved your royal bottom’ and his fingers caressed once more the keyboard of his device.

_ ‘Hard to believe. They had guns, buddy.’ _

Sidon let out a small laugh.

“Oh, my friend… I am afraid the darkness of that building played tricks on you: they had cameras, not guns.” 

The other huffed in his direction, furiously typing on his device for a moment and almost placing it under the prince’s nose while offering him an offended glare. 

‘ _ I’m a photography student, sunshine, I would recognize a camera. I don’t know what kind of mess you’re into but those people weren’t trying to get a selfie with you _ .’

S-sunshine? Buddy had already been a rather… inappropriate way to address a prince but that was taking it a bit too far. Even though it seemed more a display of annoyance than anything else, he probably felt lied to. Sidon raised his hands defensively, offering an apologetic smile but trying to bring reason in the conversation.

“If they had guns, why didn’t they shoot me when I was running away from them, then? I was… uh, I was at the Pearl when they started chasing me.” He admitted with slight embarrassment, ready to justify himself if needed, but Link barely replied with a shrug, his fingers already tapping on the device when a loud grumble interrupted them.

“Oh… oh dear.”

The prince could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, his stomach picked a great moment to let them know how hungry he actually was, after all he skipped dinner getting ready for a night of fun and he spent a good amount of time running on the roofs.

“My apologies, sir!” His more formal tone slipped in as he wrapped his arms around himself, head bowed in shame, but instead of an annoyed scolding he was greeted with a chocked laugh.

He was still red as his hair when Link simply shook his head, vaguely signed to wait there and  _ jumped _ .

\- - -

It took Link almost forty minutes to come back after basically giving Sidon a massive heart attack, the prince even attempted to leave a couple of times without success, but while he was more than determined to offer the other a proper scolding… his rage quickly faded as a delicious aroma filled his nostrils. Any word died in his mouth as it watered, the fact Link seemed absolutely mortified about the long wait also helped and by the time the ‘assassin’ was once again by his side Sidon only managed to frown in his direction.

His device was raised as soon as they were close enough, he apparently already typed something on it, probably before returning.

‘ _ Sorry. It was supposed to take ten minutes but there’s police everywhere. And they’re not happy when they see you sneak around where you’re not supposed to be. To apologize: snack’s on me. It’s Gotter’s, it’s really good. _ ’ 

Between the message and the almost bashful smile on Link’s face what was left of Sidon’s desire not to forgive him was gone.

“It’s all forgiven, Link, I admit you had me worried but if i was truly difficult for you to return I at least appreciate the effort. Now… I am most curious, what did you bring? The smell alone has my mouth watering.”

Link’s smile grew wider as he triumphantly held up a small cardboard box. Gotter’s, huh? Sidon never really heard of that company but if you had to trust his nose he was in for a treat, the prince eagerly reached out for his meal and unpacked it just to be greeted by the grossest and greasiest burger he had ever seen in his whole life. Oh, he loved it already, no one in the right mind would have ever served him such a thing back home.

“My my…” was his only comment as he studied for a moment how Link actually managed to bite on the whole thing without dripping melted fat around or staining his white costume, tongue often darting around to lick his fingers to prevent drops of sort. Okay, he could do it too.

One bite…

_ Splat _ .

The burger wasn’t even inside his mouth and he was already wearing a medal to his culinary clumsiness, a disappointed groan escaped his lips, followed by Link’s chuckles. 

Sidon’s laughter followed.

\- - -

The prince was honestly surprised by how something that was able to sit between his hands in his stomach managed to feel like a full meal. He still lied on the roof of the building, an apartment complex from what he gathered from Link, almost contemplating to spend the night there… that being said he knew a man in his position couldn’t just take that kind of decisions lightly, especially considering how much time his companion already spent assisting him.

Oh, Link was definitely going to be properly rewarded once he managed to return to the Embassy. Speaking of which...

“Pardon me…” Blue eyes turned in his direction “I know I already imposed myself far too much tonight but could I borrow your phone for a moment? I am new to the city and I need to contact those who accompanied me to be picked ut before dawn. I wish I could stay longer, your company is truly enjoyable, but I am afraid those who accompanied me would be disappointed if I didn’t show up tomorrow at work.”

There was a moment of hesitation and the blonde rolled over, grabbing his synthesizer to reply.

‘ _ I don’t really have a cellphone. We have a phone in my apartment, thought _ .’ We? ‘ _ Wanna come? _ ’

Wait, how did someone live without a cellphone nowadays? He used his for almost everything, from having various alarms through the day to organizing his agenda and work. He spent a moment considering his options, invading a person’s privacy so much felt wrong but risking a diplomatic incident by disappearing in the city was probably worse than anything else. Oh, he was definitely going to reward that little weird man.

“I… if it’s not asking too much, sir.”

\- - -

The trip to Link’s place had been… something different. The young lived in the slums of the city and there the lights barely reached the upper levels making for a slower and more dangerous walk as they basically descended in the poorest areas of the capital.

Despite that, though, Sidon was still enjoying himself while following Link’s lead. All of this felt like an adventure, something he was probably not going to repeat anytime soon considering he was about to call Rivan to inform him of the night’s events… and somehow he wanted to treasure every moment of it.

The prince had fun balancing himself over unsafe surfaces most of the times he had to reach for the other’s hand not to fall, he studied with curiosity how the smells changed leaving room to some kind of unpleasant smoke, he actually thanked a tall emergency staircase for not forcing him to climb all the way up another building… and before he knew Link was already pointing to a nearby still open window.

“Your place?”   
  
He happily nodded, helping the prince deal with the last bit of terrain before proudly introducing him to… a room. Sidon had never seen such a small place in his whole life, the apartment they were in was somehow squeezing a kitchen, a living room and a little study together with so little space between them he suspected it was necessary to climb over the small couch from behind to actually sit on it.

A short whistle coming from Link caught his attention as the closed the window behind them, but before he could question why the voice of a woman came from a nearby door.

“Welcome home, Link! I was almost worried about you, they’re putting the city under lockdown. I know you can sneak pretty much anywhere but-”

Sidon unconsciously straightened his back as steps approached, meanwhile the ‘assassin’ already started working with the belts of his costume to take it off in the most casual way possible.

“- for a while we should be careful. Basically: try to behave or I am revoking your rusks with mayo privileges again.”

An annoyed groan was Link’s only reply as the door opened, a young woman stepping inside wearing only pajamas that rememinded Sidon of his grandmother’s. He tried to offer a friendly smile despite the embarrassment but she seemed to ignore him, rushing at Link’s side and shaking his shoulders.

“Holy shit, Link… please tell me this is just an unfortunate coincidence and you have nothing to do with tonight’s chaos.”

The two men exchanged a confused glance and Link replied with a shrug. “Chaos, my lady?” the redhead asked. She just mentioned a city lockdown, an insane thing even to imagine considering how populated the capital was, that not even counting tourists “May I be so bold to ask what you’re referring to?”

The girl frowned turning her attention to him.

“Well, Prince Sidon… you’re not the only, ahem, politically relevant person who has been reported missing or murdered in the past few hours.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a slow chapter but at least we're getting Sidon settled down in Link and Zelda's mansion. Did I mention how this story is absolutely self indulging for my poor little political-mess loving heart?

Sidon felt… numb.

Four ambassadors, him included, had been reported missing during the night and three others had been executed in their embassies. And that wasn’t even considering those injured trying to protect them. As he watched the news in Link’s small television reality started to sink in, the blonde was right: he had truly been in danger back there, what he couldn’t understand was  _ why _ .

He knew Hyrule had some internal tension, something following the assassination of the queen and her daughter when he was basically a toddler: the king changed after that, living basically in isolation with only so many public appearances and leaving the chancellor as his voice outside the palace but… even consiering that it was hard to imagine anyone unhappy enough to basically throw an attack to the Kingdom’s closest allies.

The prince hid his face behind both hands letting out a frustrated sigh as Link gently patted his shoulder from behind, the small couch was apparently too little for two whole people and the two roommates decided to let him have it as they tried to figure out what to do from now on. He felt a bit left in the dark because he couldn’t understand what they said to each other when both used sign language but at the moment he felt a bit too overwhelmed to care.

Shit, he almost died. 

Or, well, almost got kidnapped too, after all he wasn’t killed while he was being chased but still… still…

“My apologies, I don’t think I feel too well right now.”

Link gave his shoulder a squeeze, still waiting behind him. Zelda left them alone to call someone, Sidon didn’t even bother asking who, and the silence in the room was… deafening. They had the television for a little but all channels were currently offering news on the attacks and the prince didn’t really want to see more of the people he met that afternoon showing in the list of the victims.

What was he supposed to do? He needed to find a way to contact Rivan to let him know he wasn’t dead, that was point number one, he just didn’t feel like using Link’s phone anymore because what if someone tracked the call back to the apartment? No way he was going to put them in danger as well. Returning at the embassy also sounded like a terrible idea considering the murders all happened between the walls of other ones, who knew how many people were actually involved. What if an assassin was waiting for him right there?

He wanted at least to point his fingers at the old man who told him to visit The Pearl but they weren’t alone that day, anyone could- oh. Oh, he was at least sure he recognized some journalists (or fake ones, considering the current situation) between his chasers so… that was a start? But for what? He knew nothing about local media and Link seemed as clueless despite living in the capital, the young man didn’t even recognize him as the prince until Zelda, the girl living with him, brought it up. Perhaps she could help him?

“What do I do now?”

He barely registered Link’s movements behind him, his first day as diplomat outside his kingdom and, of course, a disaster had to happen. It wasn’t like he was responsible for any of this but he still felt guilty, he should have at least allowed Rivan to give him a tracking device of some sort and-

And something rolling at his side almost made him jump away from the couch, he didn’t even realize he basically curled up on it in holding his legs and hiding behind a curtain of red curls. Trying to compose himself he adjusted himself on the seat, only to realize now the blonde cosplayer was sitting on his knees right in front of him taking advantage of the little space between the couch and the television.

Somehow the fact he didn’t seem worried at all actually managed to calm his nerves as well, at least a little. Link offered a small smile before pressing a button on his text to speech device, getting a pre recorded message to play.

‘ _ Buddy, listen, there’s nothing I can say that wouldn’t sound like an empty ‘all will be fine’ but I want you to think about what’s good right now. First of all: you’re alive. That’s some good shit if you ask me.” _

Right, for a good moment he forgot how informal the other could be. Not that Sidon cared that much at the moment but it still was strange hearing someone talk to him in that way.

_ ‘Second: you’re not alone. I mean, it’s me and Zelda but that’s better than nothing. I’m a reckless idiot but she’s smart, I’m sure she’ll help you figure out what to do. ’ _

He frowned, even with the best intentions he was in the hands of two civilians, what could he even ask from them? He was already imposing himself so much, their whole house was as large as his personal bathroom back home and-

_ ‘Third: look what I can do.’ _

Sidon raised an eyebrow as Link put his device down and raised both hands for him to see. Sidon studied his open palms, they were small and covered in calluses, but he didn’t see anything interesting there on his open palms.

“What… am I looking for, sir?”

The other rolled his eyes with a sigh and snapped his fingers under the prince’s nose making him flinch, the next thing Sidon felt was Link’s fingers sliding between his hair and ruffling it. Who- who behaved that way? He immediately pulled back, ready to protest, only to find himself looking at Link’s hands now proudly standing in front of him with candies placed between each finger.

Where…? He didn’t even feel those as the blonde was messing with his head, where were the candies coming from? He had no time to question it as one was ungracefully pushed in his mouth, strong taste of caramel surprising his taste buds, and Link was already retreating his hands, closing them into fists and blowing air in them just to surprise him with flowers.

Cheap, plastic ones but flowers that somehow replaced the sweets he was holding seconds ago.

He parted his lips in confusion before realizing it was probably some kind of goofy attempt to console and distract him.Sweet Hylia, he truly was a weird person, uh? Still, it somehow worked as he let out a tired chuckle and leant back against his seat, it was so stupid…

“Pardon me but.. Are you always so… random?”

Link seemed incredibly satisfied with the reaction he got as he clapped his hands together and presented him with a flower, a real one, that was carefully placed behind his ear. It almost felt ridiculous considering he was a man almost twice Link’s size, not a delicate princess, yet he found no energy to complain as the other raised both arms and mouthed a silent ‘ta-da’.

Okay, the situation was terrible but at least he was in the company of good people.

“I… I suppose I didn’t properly thank you so far. For everything.” 

Before Link could type a reply the apartment’s door opened to let Zelda back in, she was carrying two large bags and appeared even more exhausted than Sidon himself. Something that caught the prince’s eyes? The other man immediately straightened his back and stood up as soon as she walked in, a behaviour that for a couple of seconds reminded him of Rivan, but he paid it no second thought.

“So…” She ungracefully threw the bags over the table “I don’t know how to put this but: so far no one knows what’s happening…” The girl also climbed over the small couch to be in front of Sidon, this was probably the closest thing to ‘sitting together around a table’ they could get in that place and he was going to accept that “Some say it’s the beginning of a revolt, many say King Rhoam changed over the past fifteen years and his politics haven’t been too.. Friendly toward the lower classes. Still… in my opinion it makes no sense because only relevant people from nearby countries have been targeted, them and Hyrule’s most important trade partners.”

Sidon nodded, if the plan was in any way attaching the current monarchy there were better targets than people who had little to no political power in the country, they were just there to help their people who moved in Hyrule and keep good diplomatic relationships with those who mattered.

“My point is… I don’t think we can do much more than wait right now, the streets are full of soldiers at the moment and even assuming Link could help you sneak back in I’m not entirely sure it’s the right moment to attempt to go back.”

He agreed on that, as he already considered the murders happened inside the embassies he wasn’t eager to expose himself by walking in a possibly dangerous place.

“So… while we will not force you to stay, it’d probably be better for you to spend the night here and tomorrow we can try to figure out what to do.”

Link frowned, giving her a skeptical look for a moment, probably also wondering where they could fit a third person in that hole.

“I have to agree with you, as much as I tried to figure out my next steps at the moment I feel rather lost and while I hate to impose even further I admit I wouldn’t know where to go.”

“It’s understandable. Hopefully things will feel less dramatic after a good night of sleep.”

“In all honesty I don’t think I will be able to close my eyes.”

“Nonsense. It’s four in the morning and while I understand how unpleasant the situation is we all need to rest. I got you some comfortable clothes.”

Link’s hands raised once more drawing signs in the air, causing her to chuckle.

“Yunobo stopped asking questions when I say ‘it’s for Link’ and our friend here clearly needed a change. Now… let’s get to bed.”

\- - -

“I can’t possibly take your bed, my lady, nor Link’s.”

Of course they didn’t have a guest room, they barely had room for themselves, yet Sidon found himself gasping when he entered the bedroom and found himself in front of a bunk bed. There was almost nothing else in the room beside an old wardrobe and three snake tanks that were apparently hosting Link’s pets. Something about him having a passion for scaled animals, he didn’t investigate too much since his brain was still busy processing the whole thing.

“I will take the couch and-”

“You are twice our size and people can barely sit there, there’s no way we’ll let a prince play Tetris with our furniture trying to find a sleeping position that doesn’t crush his bones.”

“I can’t keep taking advantage of your kindness.”

They had been at it for almost fifteen minutes and Sidon could see Link doze off in the small corner where he decided to sit waiting for their discussion to be over.

“It’s wouldn’t be the first time we rest on the floor, I insist you take my bed.”

“I cannot… I will be the one sleeping there.”   
  
He was already wearing borrowed clothes, somehow big even for someone like him, got food from Link and now even that? He just couldn’t accept so much when most of the problems came from his situation in the first place.

“I simply cannot allow that.”

_ ‘How long are you two going to argue? This is leading nowhere and at this point I’m tired, not to mention I have lessons and to work tomorrow, what if he just shares the bed with me? No one sleeps on the floor or the couch and no man sleeps with you, everyone’s happy. There are bigger problems, you know?’ _

Sidon’s jaw dropped at the suggestion and he turned to look at Link, was he seriously proposing to sleep together? Last time he shared a bed with anyone he was a kid and it was with his sister, that was an absolutely indecent idea even if they were both men.

Right?

The other sounded so casual about it, perhaps in Hyrule this kind of things were normal?

“Uh… that sounds like a valid solution but if sharing is an option wouldn’t it be better for you and your roommate to share a-”

Sidon couldn’t finish his sentence that Link loudly clicked his tongue and made a wide gesture with his arms drawing a cross in front of himself, no device was needed to let Sidon know how adamant that no was.

“Sorry, he’s a bit… overprotective when it comes to me. But if he is okay with it, I think it’s the best solution, it’s just for the night anyway..”

The prince blinked, slightly confused by their dynamic, there was something off but he couldn’t quite pinpoint what, but there also was too much going on in his life at the moment to stop and think too much about it. He raised one hand, gently pinching the bridge of his nose, it wasn’t the right time to make a fuss over things only he seemed to care about.

“I… suppose you’re right.”

\- - -

Despite a thick layer of sheets and clothes, Link insisted to sleep above the covers not to make him feel even more uneasy, Sidon felt way too close to the other for comfort. For someone not used to physical contact if not truly needed the feeling of Link’s back pressed against his chest was definitely too vivid for him to ignore. Not to mention: were all park… park…. Whatever Zelda said earlier so ripped? For Hylia’s sake, despite being basically child sized his back felt hard as marble.

As silly as it sounded Sidon seriously stopped for a minute wondering if he shouldn’t start trying that himself if those were the results, then his line of thoughts drifted in even less coherent thoughts as the adrenaline from the past few hours left the system.

He even managed to tell himself ‘there is no way I’m going to sleep tonight’ before falling in the realm of dreams.

\- - -

When he woke up the sun was already high in the sky and he was alone in the room. 

Sidon just stood there for a long moment, staring at the bed right above his head. It was morning and he still had no clue on how to proceed but at least he recovered his energies and he’s not feeling as doomed as he did the night before. Link was right: he was still alive, he wasn’t alone and he just needed to place the pieces of the puzzle together to figure out what to do next but he was determined to do his part to help.

It was with renewed strength that he finally left the room after adjusting his borrowed clothes and that messy bush on his head that just the night before was an elegant cascade of crimson curls.

The sight that greeted him was both blondes, one sitting on the counter of the mini kitchen and one on the borders of the couch, apparently… arguing. Hands were flailing around from both sides but the only one who truly seemed upset between the two was Link, Zelda only seemed determined interest in proving her point… whatever it was.

As soon as they noticed him she raised her hands to stop the discussion, Link tried to say something else, still enraged about something, but she simply turned her back to him totally ignoring his signs. Even when he jumped off the counter and tried to move in front of her she simply pushed his hands aside with an annoyed sigh.

“We will continue this discussion later. Good afternoon, Prince.”

“Good… wait, afternoon?”

“Yes. You had to be exhausted, poor thing, so we let you sleep in. At lunch we left something for you to eat, even if it’s not much.”

“Oh, anything will be appreciated, my lady.”

“Perfect.”

A plastic box was grabbed from their mini fridge and thrown without many ceremonies in the microwave, they apparently even organized a small table for him moving some of the furniture and placing a chair in front of some boxes not to force Sidon to eat on the couch or standing up.

“So- me and Link were thinking…”

The blonde tried to step in the conversation and she simply dismissed him by looking away “You know I don’t understand you when you stutter. And please, prince-”   
  
“Actually, please call me just Sidon.”

“Please, Sidon, don’t mind him. He’s grumpy because there will be no lessons today and the restaurant where he works will be closed until things calm down and… that’s not great for us. But back on the main topic: we-” Link literally glared in her direction, lips pressed together in a thin line “-think you should stay here for the next few days.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly-”

“The other missing people have been found dead as well, Hyrule is in the middle of political chaos and as far as we know there could be assassins waiting for you to come back.”

He bit his lips, so the others were...

“I need to let my family know I’m alive, thought.”

“We discussed that. The safest way is probably a video, we will need a white background and to make sure there are no noises that can help locating our position but… it’s doable. We will need to inform a small group of friends but I can guarantee you they’re trustworthy.”

“I… that seems reasonable.”

“Perfect!” She smiled widely handing him his lunch, something that looked like a poor excuse for a potato soup “Then fill your tummy and get yourself ready, you’re about to meet the gang.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Cadence of Hyrule so much...

If Sidon dared to put his hopes up as soon as Zelda mentioned a ‘gang’ every positive feeling vanished after everyone met downstair in a small, out of service laundry room in the same building the two teens lived in.

The whole group of friend was five teens and an adult man in his thirties… and apparently they knew each other because they made some extra cash by putting together videos on Hyrtube. Fantastic.

Teba, the only adult, was the one with an internet connection at home and he was the one in charge of uploading the videos. He also worked as the Rito Embassy as guard but being little more than a policeman he had been left at home since the lockdown.

Then there was… the kid. This girl, Riju, a twelve years old gerudo was the team’s fashionista: she was in charge of hair, makeup and accessories. Honestly, Sidon had no idea what Link and Zelda expected from her but at least she sounded a bit mature for her age?

And talking about Sound… Cadence. Music specialist of the group, she seemed around Link and Zelda’s age and he couldn’t quite catch what she did in life, something about studying music and…. looking for splices in runs and shit? Whatever that meant?

Last to join them was Yunobo. And man… that guy certainly was something. He was even taller than Sidon himself and he seemed… overly nice. Genuinely nice. He was apparently the editor and snack provider for the group (and, according to Zelda, there was no greater motivator for Link than food).

Anyway, even if they all seemed great people Sidon wasn’t entirely sure how much he wanted to get young civilians involved… not to mention the only adult of the whole group was a family father with a kid waiting at home.

He took a deep breath before speaking, everyone was already sitting on plastic chair in a little circle with only Link standing up behind Zelda, arms crossed behind his back. Not that Sidon could complain, they were all already pretty cramped as they were without adding even another seat between them.

“I hope you’re aware this could put you all in danger.”

“Princy, listen-” Cadence seemed as informal as Link. Which, honestly, wasn’t a bad thing. “-Zelda literally called us to discuss some potentially dangerous stuff. Maybe I didn’t expect to find myself in front the only person still MIA of this whole mess but, hey, I’m friend with those two…” She pointed in the two blonde teen’s direction “You get used to weird shit after a while.”

“That’s true, and as long as we make sure not to use anything that can track back to the Absolute Madman channel we’re still going to be anonymous, it’s not like me fixing that mess of your hair will get guards to my door.” Despite being the youngest of them all Riju seemed incredibly comfortable with the whole situation.

“About that … I don’t think I can let you use my internet connection. If it’s just uploading our usual stuff there’s no problem but this...” Teba tapped his chin, frowning “If it was just me it’d be one thing but I can’t really put Tulin and my wife at risk. We help with the food and some clothes as long as he’s there, thought.”

“That would be perfect. And don’t worry, I think Link can probably find a spot where to upload stuff, he’s our little pirate.”

There was a moment of silence as the young man moved his hands with a smug grin painted on his face… it was followed by chuckles from everyone with the only worried person being Yunobo.

“Oh, no, that’s a terrible idea, brother!”

Cadence slapped her hand on his shoulder, laughing.

“Hell no, it’s fucking hilarious and I love you for being such an asshat, Link.” 

Sidon really needed to learn the basics of sign language, somehow he felt really irritated whenever Link spoke and he just… couldn’t understand. Not that he had any right to complain he had been cut off some part of the conversation, but…

“Right, you don’t understand. I will tell you what this idiot is saying. Basically his brilliant idea was hacking in the police station and sending it from there, it wouldn’t be the first time he sneaks there. I don’t think it’s a good idea, thought, you will need my help if you plan to hack anything-”

Oh… so Zelda was the tech expert of the group? Good to know, he simply assumed she was there as Link’s… sister? Girlfriend? Sidon probably needed to ask at some point 

At least to avoid major gaffes.

“-meaning we need a prepaid phone and a location we know you can sit down and take your time.”

“Municipal Hall. We did that before to, you know, fix my grandma’s criminal record.”

Sidon squinted in Cadence’s direction, he wasn’t overly pleased by the idea of working with potential criminals, but she shrugged staring back.

“What? As granny says it’s stab or get stabbed in this world? It was self defense, I swear.”

He was not going to question that, the less he knew probably the better.

“I see… uh… well… are we sure it will be safe for sir Link to-”

“Sir Link? THAT guy?” Riju sounded overly amused “Just call him Link.”

“Or brother, he likes that, right?”

The look Link gave Yunobo at that could only be described with one word: adoring. It only lasted a few seconds before he composed himself once more, hands again behind his back and expression serious as he stood- wait… Well, shit, he actually seemed to have a guard’s stance? But it made no sense, him and Zelda were on the same level in terms of social status, perhaps he was just… overly defensive? She mentioned something about that before.

“As I was saying… will it be safe for Link to infiltrate the Town Hall? Security must be at high levels all things considered.”

It was Link’s turn to speak and he requested attention by clapping his hands, only starting to ‘speak’ when Zelda nodded in his direction, ready to translate for him.

“He says: I know how to get in, they’re controlling guests at the main entrance and probably guarding the secondary ones as well but there’s an old, now unused laundry chute I can climb to enter. I’ll have to pick a lock in the parking lot to enter but considering it leads to an apparently isolated supply room, it’s safe enough.”

Sidon blinked, confused. Was Link a burglar of sort? How did he even know how to sneak inside a public building like that? He opened his mouth to question the whole thing but a nervous laugh from Teba prevented him from talking.

“I tend to forget you do this kind of stuff on more or less regular basis.”

Link winked, simply pretending to take a picture midair before returning to his standing position.

“Are you telling me.... you find ways to access buildings only because you like to take pictures?”

A nod and a shrug were the only reply he received and the prince found himself chuckling, that young man was truly insane, his channel name was incredibly appropriate.

“Oh dear… well, if you’re sure about this.”

Link’s nod came faster than he expected, followed by Zelda’s confirmation.

“If he says he can do it I believe him. Now… Riju, make him presentable. Teba? We need your good suit for him to wear. Yunobo and Cadence, we’re filming in the basement but you’ll have to make sure no sound can give out our position. Link? You rest for now, tonight we’ll be on duty.”

The girl turned her chair to look at Sidon face to face while the others got up to get ready. Okay, she was definitely the leader of the small group… it was kind of weird looking at Teba, a full grown adult, and seeing him follow orders of a teen but who was he to comment their dynamic?

“So, now on a more serious note-” What? What could be even more serious than this? “We need to discuss what you’re going to say in the video.”

“Could you explain yourself better?”

“We still can’t point fingers toward anyone here yet the King is already asking foreign leaders to send more delegates to replace you all.”

“What, already?” 

“Yes. There’s a lot of pressure from the media to make it clear this was some kind of rebel move and that those who oppose the royal family have to be stopped now before they cause more problems.”

“I will be honest with you, my lady, I heard about rebels from you and they were probably mentioned before I came here but it never seemed such a relevant thing? May I ask what it’s about?”

“Oh, it’s nothing big, really… just some lunatics swearing the King is an impostor and princess Tetra actually survived the Red Moon Night.” Okay, that was absurd, he could remember basically nothing about the whole thing but…

“I thought a culprit was found?”

There was a slight change in her posture, her back straightening and her muscles tensing a bit.

“Yes, the head of royal security. He… was found burning the queen and her daughter’s bodies.” A short pause as she looked away “He confessed his crimes the same night and was executed a couple of days after without even a trial.”

“A man who had nothing to lose, uh?”

“He had two children. Anyway… he clearly wasn’t working alone, after all even the king was injured that night, but his accomplices were never found. And some say… the princess was kidnapped, the body belonging to another young girl, but who’d believe that?”

A pause, Zelda sounded uneasy now, she was probably equally baffled by the utter stupidity of this theory. 

“Well… it would make sense for those people to do something nonsensical as this?”

“They’ve been doing most of their talks online, there have been only a couple of protests but those were more than a decade ago, and now things explode? Honestly I’m more inclined to believe the theory that the king is a fake and now sick so the chancellor is trying to consolidate power in his hands and get the support from strong or close countries so when times come he’ll take over since there’s no official heir. He’s already his voice, it would be easy for him to be in the position to say it was Rhoam’s last wish.”

“That’s just absurd. Why wouldn’t the princess show herself if that was the case?”

“Says the prince who’s currently hiding because it’d be too dangerous to show up right now.”

“While you may have a point there it still sounds rather absurd.”

She crossed her legs, casually waving a hand in his direction “Well, who am I to tell? I still have the impression the ones currently at the power have something to do with the assassinations and framing those unhappy with the government is the perfect way to have support from outside Hyrule as well.”

“With all the respect, ma’am, if that was the plan it’d be a poorly executed one.”

“I never said they’re smart. Most of those who have relevant seats in the palace are decrepit old men, they won’t have the bright minds they had fifteen years ago when this all started.”

Sidon placed his elbows on the knees and leant forward, studying in silence the blonde girl for a long moment.

“You’re one of the people who think the princess is alive.”

“Yes.”

“And your friends also support this.”

“Yes.”

He buried his face between his hands, of course he had been saved by said lunatics. It was almost disappointing, he expected Link to know better… somehow. Even if they only met the night before.

Actually, wasn’t it a bit too convenient he accidentally met the young man as he was escaping from his pursuers?

“I suppose then you have a message you’d rather have me share with the world instead of a general confirmation I’m alive and safe.”

“Yes.”

“Could I hear it?”

“I will be honest, your majesty, I would be incredibly grateful if you could let know the world those who oppose the king have nothing to do with last night’s events.”

“Are you in contact with people who confirmed this?”

“Yes.”

“Okay…” 

A deep breath as he considered what to do: on one side they did help him in the time of need and they didn’t hesitate to help but he didn’t know much of the current tensions in Hyrule, not enough to take a side. 

What if offering anything to them was actually a terrible political move?

“Am I wrong to assume you’re not going to allow me to contact my family unless I bring them what you want to hear?”

The girl ruffled her hair, a sigh escaping her lips.

“Yes. No matters where we stand on this, your family still doesn’t know what has happened to you and it would be cruel to let them suffer even further. Whether you support this lost princess story, support the king or take no side at all I will have Link carry your message tonight.”

Sidon let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, that was better than he hoped for. The priority was staying safe and finding a way to return home, if he had been lied to he could still say he had been forced to say certain things once he was back in his country.

“I thank you for this, my lady, it means a lot to me, I… I will let everyone know who saved me.”

The girl smiled widely, moving closer to touch his shoulder and offering a shaking thank you. Uh, that whole thing really mattered to her, uh? Weird. He heard people could get overly involved in politics, thought, so it wasn’t that surprising.

“Just one more question…”

“Yes?”

“You and Link…” Oh… why did he feel his cheeks warming up? “What is exactly the relationship between you two? I don’t want to be rude but it’s a bit confusing at times and I’d rather not assume-”

She interrupted him with a loud chuckle, tension finally leaving her body.

“Best friends, your majesty, we’re just best friends. Oh... and I would be incredibly grate if you could keep this bit of conversation just between us.” A wink “Link is really supportive of all I do but he kind of hates politics.”

\- - -

It took them most of the evening to find the right spot, wait for the perfect moment when no train would pass nearby shaking the basement, and work things out. Once Sidon’s hair had been adjusted and they found the perfect clothes for him to wear.... the whole thing took less than five minutes to record.

Now he couldn’t go back even if he wanted.

He actually went with Zelda’s plan, even if he made sure to mention he was still figuring out what was truly going on, let his family know how much he loved them and assured everyone he was in good hands. That was all.

Five whole minutes of recording of him chatting on his own and everyone was already working on getting everything ready… and he had been escorted back to the small apartment by Riju.

Being completely honest he was starting to feel a little claustrophobic but he could understand why everyone wanted him to stay as safe as possible. His fingers passed through his long red curls: those and his peculiar golden eyes were two of his most recognizable traits but being with cosplayers perhaps he could ask them for help?

No, he wasn’t going to be a big baby and complain about two or three days spent in a hole, the situation was going to improve soon and he was going to return to Zoronia before he knew it!

That being said any coherent thought was lost as he walked in the small apartment and found himself in front of Link. Sweet Hylia, he heard civilians could be rather casual in the privacy of their home but that man was… more than he expected.

“Ah… good evening, Link.” He greeted him, forcing himself to look away from the brightly colored boxers covered in bootleg beedlemon stamps and pretending he could ignore the trashy horse themed hoodie and the blupee shaped slippers “Did you rest well enough?”

The blonde barely nodded in his direction, a rusk in his mouth and messy hair kept together with chopsticks, he just woke up didn’t he? Sidon stepped in closing the door behind him and tried to find some topic of conversation since Link seemed more interested in stuffing things in his miniature freezer than interacting with him.

With both hands busy it was probably impossible for him to talk anyway, even the text to speech device he seemed to love so much required at least a free hand. Maybe… Sidon could be the one doing the speaking on his own?

“... cooking something nice?”

Link nodded, stopping to stretch his back and pointing at a plastic cup on the table. It was… one of those ramen cups commoners had, right? He heard about them, mostly cheap food for students… to think he had two personal chef back home. He would definitely invite Link, Zelda and the others once things were fixed, he was going to let them have proper meals.

Wait, he couldn’t act like a snob only because he had way more money than them. Not to mention he had the suspicion he was going to survive on that kind of stuff for the next few days. Sidon offered a smile, leaning forward to open the cup and check inside.

“Oh, that must be delWHATINTHENAMEOFHYLIA?”

He almost flipped the whole thing: immersed in warm water weren’t noodles but three dead rats. Someone please tell him he wasn’t going to be forced to eat_ those _. Link’s soft chuckle, the prince already noticed he could barely emit any sound,made him pout, that wasn’t a fun joke at all!

A sign from the other didn’t help solving the situation considering he was unable to read it and the blonde rolled his eyes before closing the refrigerator, picking up the cup and placing the back of his closed hand against Sidon’s chest, gently knocking against it. The gesture that followed was simple enough to understand, ‘_follow me_ ’.

“Please, tell me you’re not planning to share those with me.”

Link’s amused glance was enough to reassure him, even if it took Sidon a long moment to remind what was waiting for them in the mini bedroom: the blonde’s three snakes. He covered the three tanks with a blankets last night so the light wouldn’t bother them and with all things that happened he forgot about them.

“I see, so it’s dinner time for your pets.”

Link nodded again sitting on the floor and patting the carpet near him, inviting him to take place at his side as he took the chopsticks off his head. Oh, his hair were apparently pretty long, uh?

With his legs crossed the muscles of Link’s legs were even more evident than before and Sidon’e eyes wandered for a moment before he could compose himself once more. Was he jealous? Maybe? Again, if those were the results of the other’s activity he needed to give it a try as well.

For a long moment he studied in silence how the other tapped against the glass to attract his pet: Sidon knew nothing about snakes but he had to admit it was relaxing how the other used his chopsticks to attract the animal around, carefully keeping his fingers at a safe distance. Less nice was how he checked the warmth of the rats with the top of his fingers but, again, who was Sidon to judge?

“May I ask you something?” A softly spoken ‘mh?’ seemed to invite him to continue “aren’t your mices a bit too large for your animal?”

He felt a gentle nudge against his side and Link proceeded to bring one of the dead rats in the tank, wiggling it for a moment in front of the snake who didn’t seem to mind the size when it jumped on its meal. Okay, Sidon was clearly wrong.

They spent some time in silence as Link fed his pets, added water in small cups inside their little glass houses and checked on them. He seemed so incredibly focused Sidon didn’t find it in his heart to interrupt. Mostly because it seemed the blonde’s way to relax before his task.

To be honest, now that the sky was dark and the video was probably only getting the last touches Sidon himself was starting to feel anxious. They all got a somehow easy part to play out yet the blonde was supposed to sneak in a potentially dangerous area and take care of the most difficult part of it.

Zelda was about to call him anyway, wasn’t she? What if someone spotted him? What if he got hurt? The other man wasn’t even one of his men or anything, this truly was putting a civilian’s life on the way and...

“Mh?”

Another small bump against his side as Link tried to get his attention, apparently worried over… him? Right, he probably didn’t look that well right now.

“My apologies if I look troubled, my friend, it’s just… I admit I worry about your safety. I’m taking advantage of your skills to pursue my goal right now and-”

He was interrupted by a loud huff ad Link rolled his eyes and raised his hands in the most nonchalant way, almost like he didn’t care about what was going to happen that night. A hand was placed on his shoulder and the younger man seemed to search for words for a couple of seconds before throwing his arms around the prince’s neck in a friendly hug.

Oh… oh dear, even his arms were apparently made of marble. Yes, Sidon totally had to try.whatever Link was doing.

Before he could say anything or even return the hug, thought, he heard the other sniff against his neck a couple of times, this followed by Link throwing his head back with a face that was a mix of amusement and disgust, even if the second part was clearly faked.

“Excuse me, what-”

The other got up, basically dragging him on his feet. Two large towels (More beeldemons, seriously?) were thrown between Sidon’s arms as he was not too gracefully escorted to the bathroom. Okay, perhaps he was still covered in sweat and dust but that seemed excessive, no one mentioned him smelling earlier. He was about to protest when a piece of paper with an hastily written note was shoved under his nose.

_ ‘Just relax. Be back soon. Zelda sleeps with Riju. Chamomile over fridge, snacks under my bed. Be food.'_

“Be… food?”

The other blinked, turning the paper for a moment, blushing slightly and scribbling all over it once again. 

“So…. be good like a child?”

Link replied with a solemn nod just before a small device started beeping on the table. Was that… one of those devices medics used while on call to know when they were needed? Sidon had barely time to register it before the other rushed back in his room, jumped out of it in more or less decent clothes and placed his hand once more against Sidon’s chest repeating the knock knock gesture of before.

_ ‘Good night’ _

Not a word, not a note, the blonde just worded the thing as slowly as possible giving the prince time to read his lips. Oh… Sidon could get used to that. He swallowed nervously before raising his eyes from Link’s mouth to his blue eyes.

“Be safe.”

That was all he could offer right now, that seemed enough anyway as Link grinned in his direction before heading out.

  



	5. Chapter 5

Relax, said Link before leaving. Easier said than done.

Sidon knew the other man needed at least two hours to reach the City Hall, two more to return and who knew how the whole operation was going to take anyway: Zelda already informed him Link was unlikely to return before dawn, that the best thing was to try to sleep and wait for his return but the prince couldn’t even sit in his bed right now. Their bed. His?

Irrelevant, he was still too much of a mess right now, not even chamomile had any effect on his nerves as he followed all the news feeds he could find on the limited choice of channels on Link’s television. Total silence for almost three hours in which all he got was a short visit from Cadence to reassure him the blonde was doing fine and was inside…. but then Sidon made the mistake to tell her he was about to go to sleep anyway and not a single knock on his door followed.

The prince almost jumped on the couch when all programs were finally interrupted with breaking news and his video was shown: as Zelda promised there were no cuts, no changes, the audio was just muffled in some parts but they had to do all the editing in less than an hour so he wasn’t really surprised. Even then, after hearing himself reassure his family that all was good and talking about how things don’t seem so clear from where he stands because those who are being accused of killing his coworkers happened to be his accidental saviors, Sidon just… stood there.

Waiting.

Worried that someone would suddenly say a suspect had been found, worried to see the police suddenly burst through the apartment’s door and bringing him to whoever was behind all of this, knowingly or not… sweet Hylia, being trapped in such a small apartment didn’t really help, he couldn’t even peace back and forth without stumbling on something.

He… he needed out. Truth was Sidon wasn’t going to resist who knows how many days without moving from there. Right.

In the attempt to find something to keep himself busy he returned in the bathroom, turning the small light on and staring at his imagine in the mirror. He couldn’t hide his darker skin, that was true, but he wasn’t certainly the only zoronian or gerudo in town… and he could at least get rid of his long, way too noticeable curls.

He could probably even ask for some proper dye to cover the red and… colored contacts, perhaps? The prince stopped leaning against the incredibly small sink, he was definitely overreacting there and there was no reason to do anything drastic… then again if he didn’t keep himself busy he was going to explode.

“I can’t wait to go home…”

He sighed massaging his forehead, why didn’t he ask the others to stay with them during the whole operation? He got the feeling they didn’t want him around more than needed but anything was going to be better than being locked alone like that. Especially considering he didn’t exactly know who to believe right now, the lost princess theory was too absurd to be true but at the same time he just didn’t have access to enough information at the moment. His whole training was on economics and etiquette, not… dealing with this kind of stuff.

Sidon groaned, starting to check in the drawers anyway for a pair of scissors just to keep his mind busy. Uh.... weird, there were very few products for the home itself or personal care and a ridiculous amount of stashed medicines and first aid equipment. Was it something poor people did? Right, Hyrule’s health system wasn’t really known to be good for those below a certain level of income…

Still, it now somehow felt like invading their privacy way too much: Link and Zelda weren’t really trying to hide how poor they were but stashing things away like squirrels was… you know what? He was going to ask them to move with him in his homeland. Who wouldn’t leave such a hole?

He was going to give them a title, even to their friends if needed, and leave Hyrule and its ridiculous mess behind. He was a prince, for Hylia’s sake, yet he was stuck there feeling like one of those hopeless princesses waiting back at the castle for a knight to save the day. He hated that.

“You know what?” He asked pointing at his reflection in the mirror “We’re going to ask Link to teach us how to run like him. This way we’ll get not only to move and be proactive in this whole situation but we’ll also get to build beautiful muscles like his.” 

He was not completely delusional, Sidon knew moving around like the other did probably required months if not years of practice but if Link managed to take him to his place he could probably take him to other areas as well, right?

And maybe they could find a way for Sidon to help as well.

The prince managed a small smile as he returned in the small living room, he wasn’t going to be a nuisance. And he was also at least going to contribute economically with the little Rivan put in his wallet before allowing him out. And he could cook! A little, at least. If the potato soup Zelda offered him earlier was of any indication both could use some better food and he did know how to put together something nutrient.

And he could clean the house? Maybe? He wasn’t interested in trying to touching the snakes too much but he had the impression his new friend actually enjoyed taking care of them so that was off the chart… perhaps he could ask Zelda if something else could be done. 

Sidon nodded to himself, there certainly were things he could do, he just had to figure them out and while it was true he was out of his element he just needed to talk things out with his two hosts.

If they were to return home anytime soon.

The three hours that followed were the longest of his life, he simply kept moving around the apartment trying to be as silent as possible and keeping himself occupied, when the door finally opened he almost had an heart attack while rushing in front of it.

There he was! 

It was almost morning, he looked like a disaster but he was definitely back and alive.

“You’re back!”

He even stepped closer with the intention of hugging him but the way the other raised his hands and moved back a little made him freeze. Right, it wasn’t appropriate to act like that, they had been around each other for less than two days and while Link seemed more than comfortable to invade his personal space Sidon was a prince and he had to behave in a certain-

Wait, why was he pointing at himself? And pretending to smell his own clothes? Oh, right, he was… covered in stains. Was that tomato sauce on his hoodie? And he didn’t want to know what was smeared on his shoulder.

“Did… did you hide in a garbage can?”

The blonde offered a guilty smile before closing the door behind his back and making his way toward the bathroom desperately trying not to touch anything in its way and Sidon was more than happy to give him all the space he needed.

And yes, he did feel like an idiot waiting outside the closed door as the other moved inside, probably trying to get a bit cleaner, but he wanted to know everything if the other wasn’t too tired to write down how his mission went. And, most importantly, if they already had ideas for their next steps.

What he wasn’t ready for was for him to open the door after getting rid of his clothes and handing out a piece of paper while only wearing his underwear. His mouth felt dry as a desert while his eyes dared to wander on the turtle on his stomach and the mountain of muscles on that mini sized person yet he managed to look away and read the message.

‘Need change. Red box under bed. Why are you still awake?'

“Yes, of course. And... I just woke up, please do not worry about me.”

Link’s expression was enough to tell he clearly didn’t believe him and he felt like a terrible person when he just turned his back to him heading to the duo’s bedroom: Sidon knew the other wasn’t going to be able to call him or ask for more explanations if he wasn’t there… and that felt like exploiting the other’s inabilty to speak.

Wasn’t he a wonderful man? 

He even took his time to pick the clothes, most of Link’s wardrobe was large hoodies with stamps in the front and gym trousers but he wasn’t really eager to head back while Link was showering. It felt unfair being the only one able to talk, somehow.

Sidon really needed to add ‘learning sign language’ to the things he had to do.

The bathroom’s door opening and a whistle were his cue to head back and he gathered the courage to go back. So what if he didn’t sleep? It wasn’t like Link had any right to order him to rest earlier anyway! 

Who was he trying to fool? He owed that man so much already, he could at least try not to make him worry but no. Sidon couldn’t help but bow his head as he offered him his clothes careful not to look in his direction.

“My deepest apologies, my friend, I couldn’t really calm down knowing you out there when you have no real involvement with any of this, you’re the one who’s currently carrying most of my burdens and I don’t even know how to repay your kindness right now.”

Link’s head poked from behind the door, somehow he seemed almost… annoyed? Tired? Both? Oh dear…

“And look at me! You should rest yet I’m here keeping you up even further! And tonight I insist you take the bed for yourself after all you did!”

He saw the head disappear once more and heard the other return to his clothes once more. Great, he was probably pissing him off now with all that talking.

“Unless you prefer to eat something. I took the freedom to check your pantry and I admit I’m a bit lost with your supplies of pre-cooked stuff but I’m sure I could try to cook some of that? And not to step on Yunobo’s shoes but if you and Zelda are comfortable with the idea I could try to at least assist in the kitchen while you’re not around? My sister teached me the basics.”

He crossed his arms, leaning his back against the wall and looking up at the ceiling.

“I admit I need something to do, I feel so useless right now and I hate it so much. I should be the one who offers assistance, instead I’m here depending on your and your friend's kindness.”

Before he could say anything else Link was out and standing in front of him with his little notebook, apparently the text to speech device was too expensive to risk it during the City Hall visit and both worked so...

_ ‘You and Zelda are secretly related, aren’t you? She’s the same when she’s too agitated.’ _

“... I apologize.”

_‘Stop apologizing.’_ A quick scribble before covering Sidon’s lips with a finger and returning to his notebook making it clear he needed his time there. Goddess, they were still standing in the small corridor like idiots…

_ ‘I don’t give a shit about politics but you’re in the slum now and we help each other so stop worrying. Now, I love food so if you can cook that’d be fantastic but we should discuss it tomorrow. Now, are you going to bed or do I have to give you the Zelda treatment?’ _

Okay, Sidon _ needed t _o hire a cook just for him once he was back home.

“I… you’re right, I should be more accepting and know I will repay your generosity-” he noticed Link roll his eyes, he probably said that too many times “-but you should take priority and re-EK!”

He just registered Link’s arm slide behind his back and the next thing his brain was telling him was ‘yep, we’re gay, this is the confirmation we needed’ as the smaller one lifted him from the ground with a small grunt and carried him bridal style to the mini bedroom. Not only he could literally feel all the muscles of his body but he also had the best possible view of his face adorned by still wet hair and- what was wrong with him? He had known Link for so little!

Link was half his size, how was he even able to lift him? Zelda was such a lucky woman…

“I don’t think this-”

The prince couldn’t finish the sentence before being tossed on the bed without much grace… thank you for ruining the moment? But even if he almost wanted to protest when he looked up at Link any complain died in front of his annoyed expression and the way he almost stood above him with his hands on the hips. 

“You win. I will rest.”

The blonde’s frown disappeared almost immediately as he leaned forward to pet Sidon’s head, Great, he was being treated like a kid… Sidon almost opted to protest but before he could say anything Link was already moving up, climbing to Zelda’s bed, and the prince’s hand darted toward him before his brain could connect and tell him it was a terrible idea.

“...”

And now that was awkward. Sidon was still in bed holding Link by one of his ankles and the other was clearly questioning him, waiting for the prince to say something. Sidon opened his mouth twice, no words leaving his lips, and he could only curse his own brain for not cooperating.

It even took him a moment to realize Link scribbled something on his own hand.

_ ‘Afraid to sleep alone?’ _

“Yes. I… suppose it’s the stress?”

It wasn’t true, he didn’t even know why he stopped the other but he was immensely grateful Link server him a valid excuse right there, no matters how embarrassing it was. Nothing else needed to be said, he was grateful when Link moved down and dropped his whole body at his side, this time actually leaning on his back and offering his chest as pillow.

Even if he knew he was taking advantage of Link’s kindness once more Sidon told his conscience to shut up for once as he gladly accepted the invitation.

\- - -

“Wakey-wakey, Prince Sidon, it’s almost lunch time”

Sidon groaned, not really wanting to open his eyes: he was warm, comfortable and he was positive he didn’t hear his alarm ringing so whoever wanted him to get up could probably wait five more minutes.It wasn’t even Muzu’s voice, it couldn’t be _ that _urgent.

“Sidon, please, we need to talk. Not to mention you should probably move unless you want to find yourself completely covered in drool.”

… what? Covered in drool? Did he fall asleep with Mipha’s dogs again? That would have explained the loud snoring and-

“Oh.”

He wasn’t home, he was still in Link and Zelda’s apartment with the former sprawled on his body like a tiny hylian blanked. And, man, he was snoring like a train. How… he didn’t do that last night! He was even sleeping with his stomach down right now, how could such a small man be so loud?

Sidon carefully tried to move him away before remembering they weren’t alone, his attention slowly moving to Link’s roommate who was also sitting on the mattress and looking at him with a knowing smile.

“So… you’ll be glad to know your family already left a reply to your message, they made a big public statement basically saying ‘we love you, don’t do anything stupid’. We need to go to Teba’s apartment or wait for it to be shown in television to see it but they’re clearly relieved.”

Oh, thank Hylia. 

“The chancellor already tried to say you’re clearly being brainwashed by the enemies of the state but I don’t think we should discuss that until you’re fully awake. So… I take you both rested well?

Yes, he rested divinely thank you and he would have been more than happy to sleep a bit longer because he was absolutely comfortable with Link and he didn’t want to face reality yet, both of his situation or his ill timed crush could probably wait, right? Wrong.

The prince sighed, trying to gently move Link aside, careful not to wake him up, only to be met by the girl’s amusement.

“He’s comatose right now, you can push him and he won’t even blink. I’m glad he’s actually resting, I haven’t heard him snore since you arrived and I was starting to get worried.”

“Wait… are you saying he just pretended to sleep in the past few days?”

“Pretty much. He rarely rests around people he doesn’t know well but I guess he was exhausted after last night.”

Sidon nodded, distractedly passing his fingers through his hair and only moving the hand away when he noticed Zelda’s grin grow wider.

“Events are in motion, Sidon, and hopefully we’ll soon figure out how to send you home.”

He couldn’t wait for that, leaving Hyrule behind sounded like the best idea, but at the same time if a civil war of sort was actually brewing the first people suffering from it would be the poorest ones. Like them.

“My lady-”

“Just… Zelda, please.”

“Zelda, is there a chance I can convince you and your friends to come with me?”

“No”

The girl didn’t even sound surprised as she replied, nor tempted by the idea.

“May I ask why? I could easily provide for you and the others-”

“I am not leaving Hyrule, Sidon, and If I’m not leaving he’s not moving as well.”

Oh, please, Link was his own person, if he wanted to move to Zoronia how was she planning to keep him there?

“Trust me. I tried to convince him to leave me behind before but he’s a stubborn man.” Her voice was filled with warmth and love as she closed the distance between her and Link to kiss his cheek “We were orphaned the same day and before… passing his dad ordered him to take care of me. He hasn’t left my side since.”

The prince let the new information sink, he knew little of his hosts but it was clear she had no intention of moving and if he was so devoted to an old promise… That actually explained a bit why their relationship seemed more the one between a bodyguard and his charge?

“Between me and you, I wouldn’t complain if you found a way to drag him away, he already sacrificed enough for my s-” A louder snort interrupted her as Link’s eyes opened and she grinned ruffling his hair “Well well, welcome back to the world, jackass. Get up, Yunobo sends you both pancakes.”

Magical words, apparently: Link immediately straightened his back despite still being half asleep and turned to face Zelda with anticipation. Food truly had power over him, didn’t it? Sidon really needed to step up his game during his stay, no matter how short it was going to be.

“They’re in the kitchen, you animal. By the way, they’re for both of you so make sure you leave our friend here at least a bite or two.”

Link’s reply came in the form of signs Sidon couldn’t read and he let out a sigh. 

“Before we start the day I have a request.” Both Link and Zelda turned their attention to him “From what I understand I will at least spend a few more days with you all so I’d appreciate if you could spare some time to teach me the basis of sign language, I feel incredibly rude in forcing Link to go out of his ways to communicate with me.”

The man in question tapped Zelda’s elbow to gesture his reply only to have her grab his hands and shake her head, frowning.

“He says he’ll be delighted to teach you. Riju should still have the books we gave her too.”

Sidon could tell that wasn’t what Link wanted to say but pressed on.

“That’s not all. I… I’d like to go and do some grocery shopping.Or anything, really… I’m getting claustrophobic here. Not that I don’t appreciate your hospitality but it is a small apartment.”

“With all the respect I don’t think it would be a great idea, people will be looking for you.”  
  
“That’s why I’d like to ask lady Riju for a short haircut and to dye my hair black, my lady.”   
  
“Still a terrible idea. It would certainly make you harder to detect but people heard your voice.”   
  
“One more reason for me to learn sign language”   
  
“Bold of you to assume many people understand it, especially in the slums.”

With a frustrated groan Link stepped between the two, said… something, patted his stomach and raised both hands toward the ceiling.

“Goddess gracious… you truly are a disgrace to hyliankind when you’re hungry. Okay… You go and make yourself presentable before breakfast.” He offered a solemn bow before stepping out of the bedroom “And you, prince? Try to eat something and check Teba’s clothes for something comfortable enough, he’s going to take you shopping.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's over. Sidon being locked in the apartment is finally over *hands up*. I am free.


End file.
